The Continuity and Serialization of Voyager

[Melakon]

The opening narration is not dialogue within the episodes. But nowhere in that narration does it suggest no contact with existing starbases or crew transfers. I know this same sort of discussion regarding these same points occurred elsewhere on the board in the past week, but don't recall where.

 

[Anwar]

It's premise wasn't that it had an objective, but that it was in a situation that limited its action.

VOY's premise needed work, IMO. They limited themselves too much with the "Always moving" thing, and the whole "Get back to Earth" thing undercut too much potential for what the Delta Quadrant offered.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Kirk just said it was a 5 year mission in the credits to escape a pregnancy scare.

 

[DigificWriter]

It's premise wasn't that it had an objective, but that it was in a situation that limited its action.

Technically, TOS' premise likewise limited its action.... or should have.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Kirk just said it was a 5 year mission in the credits to escape a pregnancy scare.

To boldly flee from where only Kirk has gone before.

 

[Melakon]

I'm only about halfway through Part 1 of the Year of Hell 2-parter, but, so far, the episode has been the perfect example of the things I've been saying re: Voyager's continuity and serialization. Thus far, we've seen every single specific detail that we learned about the YoH from Before and After (the loss of Sickbay, the Mess Hall becoming a triage center, the chronoton torpedo lodged in the Jeffries Tube on Deck 11, the nature of B'Elanna's injuries) realized in some fashion, even if things play out differently than they did in that earlier episode; if the show didn't have continuity or serialization, this kind of symmetry wouldn't be present to the degree that it is.

I think "Year of Hell" was originally planned as the 3rd season cliffhanger, and the foreshadowing would have been even more noticeable had Kes stayed. It works well as a "What If?" story all the same.

 

[R. Star]

I'm only about halfway through Part 1 of the Year of Hell 2-parter, but, so far, the episode has been the perfect example of the things I've been saying re: Voyager's continuity and serialization. Thus far, we've seen every single specific detail that we learned about the YoH from Before and After (the loss of Sickbay, the Mess Hall becoming a triage center, the chronoton torpedo lodged in the Jeffries Tube on Deck 11, the nature of B'Elanna's injuries) realized in some fashion, even if things play out differently than they did in that earlier episode; if the show didn't have continuity or serialization, this kind of symmetry wouldn't be present to the degree that it is.

I think "Year of Hell" was originally planned as the 3rd season cliffhanger, and the foreshadowing would have been even more noticeable had Kes stayed. It works well as a "What If?" story all the same.

Actually I recall reading it was supposed to be a whole season story arc originally but they toned it down for some reason. That would've actually been cool instead of the reset button hit we got.

 

[DigificWriter]

As far as I know, any chatter about the YoH storyline lasting an entire season was nothing more than writer/producer 'hindsight commentary'.

The only things I've ever heard/seen confirmed about the Yoh story are that Part 1 was originally going to be the Season 3 cliffhanger and that, at one point, the story itself was planned to be a 4-parter.

 

[R. Star]

Probably right... that would've required Voyager taking a chance and venturing far away from the safety of the reset button. Too bad too, that would've been something that could've really been the highlight of the series when it reached it's full potential.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

But imagine if the reset button had happened after the entire season..!

 

[R. Star]

But imagine if the reset button had happened after the entire season..!

That would almost be as bad as a season long arc cliffhangering with an alien Nazi.

 

[Anwar]

Well, they had no way of fixing the ship with that kind of damage. After "Year of Hell" the show would be over. They had to reset it because all the other constraints of the premise ("No Support") would've kept them from resolving anything.

 

[DigificWriter]

But imagine if the reset button had happened after the entire season..!

Fringe essentially hit the 'reset button' with its third season finale, relegating the events of that season and the two preceding seasons to an alternate reality/timeline, so it could've been done and done successfully with Voyager and a season-long version of the YoH storyline.

I personally don't see the problem with hitting the 'reset button' on the storyline at its conclusion regardless of length, but YMMV.

 

[Melakon]

TATV seemed to do a reset from out of the blue invalidating the entire previous four years.

 

[DigificWriter]

TATV seemed to do a reset from out of the blue invalidating the entire previous four years.

How?

 

[Guy Gardener]

Fury reset 6 seasons.

Endgame reset 14 seasons of Voyager and 10 seasons of the sequel set on Earth.

 

[Guy Gardener]

TATV seemed to do a reset from out of the blue invalidating the entire previous four years.

How?

Some say that every story had been a Holodeck adventure and that we had never seen any "real" adventures of a pioneering Starfleet set between 2251 -2261.

 

[Melakon]

TATV seemed to do a reset from out of the blue invalidating the entire previous four years.

How?

Riker and Troi suddenly showing up and watching the whole thing in the holodeck. It raises the possibility that the whole series was a simulation, starting with "Broken Bow".

 

[DigificWriter]

^ I think that notion is ridiculous and completely unsubstantiateable, but, just for the sake of argument, I don't see how that would 'invalidate' the series.

 

[Melakon]

^ I think that notion is ridiculous and completely unsubstantiateable, but, just for the sake of argument, I don't see how that would 'invalidate' the series.

I'm not saying I think that, only that it opens up that avenue of interpretation, even if unintended. I didn't mean to siderail this away from Voyager again.